Bryan Oviedo to start for Everton FC at Barnsley as Blues close in on double deal

Everton's Bryan Oviedo salutes the fans at the end of the the pre-season friendly at Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh.

Sign up to FREE email alerts from Liverpool Echo - Everton FC

When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Bryan Oviedo will start Everton FC's Capital One Cup tie at Barnsley on Wednesday - as the Blues close in on two new signings.

The Costa Rican is set to make his first appearance of the season at Oakwell, with Brendan Galloway almost certain to miss the match with a knee problem, sustained in Sunday's defeat to Manchester City.

Oviedo has had a tough time with injuries over the past two years, ending last season with a fractured foot, having suffered a broken leg in his first campaign on Merseyside.

"I would be very surprised if Brendan Galloway plays," Martinez said. "As we know, he had to come off [on Sunday] and, for him to leave the pitch, it is not something we can solve overnight. He doesn’t want to be ruled out yet but I consider him as a major doubt.

"Bryan Oviedo will start. It will be a good feeling to see him back - he has missed out on a lot of football. He has been working hard.

"It's a sight of enjoyment. He was fantastic in training, we are very much excited to see Bryan back on the pitch.

"We all know how difficult it's been for Bryan. We have also seen how hard he's been working. There is a feeling of togetherness.

"He's been very unfortunate. He got back to a very good level last season then he had a (foot) fracture.

"You just feel that sometimes as a footballer you need to hit rock bottom to look up. Bryan is desperate to be on the pitch.

"Our fans have a really strong feeling for Bryan and he feeds off that."

Martinez, meanwhile, is hopeful of adding South American duo Ramiro Funes Mori and Leandro Rodriguez to his squad this week, with both players on Merseyside looking to conclude their moves.

River Plate defender Mori's switch is dependant on a work permit, with Martinez "confident" there will be no hitch, while Everton also have permission to talk with Rodrigues, a 22-year-old Uruguayan striker who plays with River Plate Montevideo.

Ramiro Funes Mori

On Mori, Martinez said: "We have permission from his club. At the moment it hasn't been concluded but we feel positive about the outcome. We hope we can get Ramiro as an Everton player in the next few hours.

"We will test the new (work permit) process and we are confident we can achieve the work permit. We want to do it as quick as we can."

On Rodriguez, he added: "He's a talented young man. I can speak because we have the permission of his club. Nothing to announce at the moment but he is a player we would love to have a positive outcome with."